About

Burner - A Novel of Ghosts, Murders, and Deadly Secrets

$6,204

pledged of $5,000 goal

131

backers

Burner is the first book in The Affinity Series from fantasy author J.S. Lenore, author of such short stories as Three Days and Gulls (previously published under her online pseudonym "p1013"). Submitted to Hoddorscape during their open submission period in 2015, the first draft of Burner finished in the top 5% of over 1,500 submissions, which led Lenore to dive head first into completing the novel.

Over the next 18 months, she edited, revised, and rewrote major parts of the book before making the (scary!) decision to Kickstart her dream of becoming a full-time author.

Stretch Goals

Edit 4/7/17: WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you to everyone for your support! We have 10 more days to achieve our stretch goals and further the production and reach of Burner!

Our next goal is ART FOR ALL, where all pledges will receive a free additional art print with their purchase!

The Story

Homicide detective Kim Phillips isn’t like the other officers of the Chicago Police Department. She’s quiet, isolated, and she can speak with the dead. Born with the ability to see into and interact with the afterlife, she is a Burner: a person tasked with hunting down dangerous spirits and sending them to the other side.

The main characters of Burner include Kim Phillips, a Medium and Detective, and her ghostly companion Priya. Detective Riley Cross becomes Kim's partner, but knows nothing of the world of spirits and ghosts.

When Kim exorcises the ghost of a young girl, she’s dragged into a new and unsettling case, one where people like Kim are being killed. The only problem? There’s no connection between the victims and no proof that they were murdered in the first place. Kim has to catch the killer before he finds his last victim and unleashes an unknown evil on the world.

Burner, the first book in the Affinity Series, is a dark exploration of how life and death are only separated by a single breath and how even those with power can be powerless.

Who Is It For?

When I started working on Burner, it was all about writing a story that I wanted to read. I love mysteries and cop shows, and I love paranormal settings that blend the real world with magic and mysticism. And I knew that I wanted my story to be told from a woman's perspective, for women to read, with female relationships playing a big role in the narrative. And while I wanted some romance in the story, I didn't want it to overpower the main plot, which was discovering who was committing this string of murders.

So, if you like stories that toe the line with tropes but change them up, this is the book for you. If you like strong female protagonists, this is the book for you. If you like healthy female relationships in your stories, this is the book for you. And if you like ghosts and mysteries and some pretty gruesome deaths, this is definitely the book for you.

In terms of other stories that are similar in theme, tone, and genre to Burner, Jim Butcher's Dresden series, Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series, and Lynn Flewelling's Tamir Triad would be good starting points.

The Art

While working on finishing the novel and getting it ready for print, we commissioned multiple pieces from talented artists worldwide to help bring the world of The Affinity Series to life. Because we love the art so much, we want to share it with our Backers. Most levels offer an 11" x 17" print of one of the pieces featured in the book and in our marketing materials.

We have an amazing array of pieces from several talented artists (credits below!)

Where Does It Go?

Obviously, printing and distributing a book takes a lot of time and money. Our biggest costs are going to be in printing for local distribution and for sale at conventions. The second biggest cost is marketing. After that, we'd like to be able to get more art commissioned as a way to bolster our marketing plan. The rest will go to Kickstarter fees, travel expenses, and one amazing cup of coffee for J. S. for finishing her first novel.

....and you! Thank you for considering our project. We will not let you down.

Risks and challenges

"Burner" is ready to print and will be available by April 17, 2017! All backer levels should deliver shortly after the Kickstarter completion. "Reader," the sequel, is currently in progress with a late 2017 release goal.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $55 or more
About $55

Merchant Medium

Are you a bookstore, convention merchant, or reseller? We'll ship you 12 copies of the paperback edition of Burner, 2 dozen bookmarks and a display sign so you can resell our book in your store. And as a sign of how much we greatly appreciate your support, we'll also promote you on our social media accounts.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $115 or more
About $115

Big Merchant Medium

Are you a bookstore, convention merchant, or reseller? We'll ship you 20 copies of the paperback edition of Burner, 5 copies of the hardback edition, 4 dozen bookmarks and 2 display signs so you can resell our book in your store. And as a sign of how much we greatly appreciate your support, we'll also promote you on our social media accounts.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,000 or more
About $1,000

Holy Cow Medium

You're all in on The Affinity Series and you really believe in us. THANK YOU! You'll get each of the seven books in the Affinity Series, in Paperback AND Hardback, as they release, with a personalized note from J. S. in each.

(Burner will ship immediately. Other books will release as they are completed.)